Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian and African Languages
Michigan State University
A-614 Wells Hall
E. Lansing, MI 48824-1027
[email protected]
Keywords: presupposition, definite description, old information, common ground, assertion
Abstract: It is commonly assumed that the assertion/presupposition distinction maps fairly directly onto the distinction between new and old information. This assumption is made doubtful by presupposing constructions that regularly convey new information: uniquely identifying descriptions, "informative presupposition" it-clefts, reverse wh-clefts, announcements embedded under factives, nonrestrictive relatives. The presupposed content conveyed by these constructions can be regarded as part of the common ground only with an unconstrained principle of accommodation. But this reduces the claim that grammatical presuppositions are part of the common ground to vacuity.
Объяснение:
To appear in Journal of Pragmatics
Presuppositions as nonassertions*
(1999)
Barbara Abbott
Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian and African Languages
Michigan State University
A-614 Wells Hall
E. Lansing, MI 48824-1027
[email protected]
Keywords: presupposition, definite description, old information, common ground, assertion
Abstract: It is commonly assumed that the assertion/presupposition distinction maps fairly directly onto the distinction between new and old information. This assumption is made doubtful by presupposing constructions that regularly convey new information: uniquely identifying descriptions, "informative presupposition" it-clefts, reverse wh-clefts, announcements embedded under factives, nonrestrictive relatives. The presupposed content conveyed by these constructions can be regarded as part of the common ground only with an unconstrained principle of accommodation. But this reduces the claim that grammatical presuppositions are part of the common ground to vacuity.